Mou permits, the players press

Real Madrid is venturing into territory where no José Mourinho team has ever trod so frequently or in such a determined way before. It started to test the ground during its Supercup showdown with Barcelona in August, but it wasn't until after the loss at Levante and the goalless tie the following week at Racing Santander in September that the players refined the formula.

They made the final definitive step against Málaga last month when they resolved to install the team in the opposition half of the field for as long as possible. To attack and to defend. Whether its opponent had the ball or not. Pushed by Xabi Alonso, with the help of Gonzalo Higuaín, Marcelo, Álvaro Arbeloa, Sami Khedira, Pepe and, above all Sergio Ramos, Real has made pressure the perfect instrument for controlling the game and entertaining the public. Since Málaga, the team has reaffirmed its intention of taking all matches to its rival's half - with no concessions to speculation, at least until half time.

Mourinho's message, according to the players, left a wide margin for interpretation. In Málaga he asked them more or less what he always asks: to pressure high up during throw-ins and during goal kicks and throws, as long as they weren't long ones. He told them that if Málaga got control of the ball and had more than three passes they needed to fall back to avoid risks. That was the detail.

But the players took license to keep on pressuring high up even when Málaga had the ball. "It worked out well for us because when they began a play they fell apart because they were deploying themselves in front of the ball too quickly," recalled one player.

Last season, against teams such as Pellegrini's Málaga that like to dominate the ball, Real tended to hold back to exploit the spaces for counterattacks. After the first goal, this tendency increased.

In La Rosaleda the approach was different, deepening into a way of approaching matches that has brought Madrid its most brilliant run in years: six consecutive wins in La Liga and three in the Champions League with 32 goals in its favor and only two against.

Mourinho will have to decide if he wants pressure to be a distinct mark of his team, or admit that the experiences of the last month have been circumstantial.

"A bit of both," the Portuguese coach said ahead of Sunday's game against Osasuna, which his side won 7-1. "It is a characteristic that we want to have as a team. To be more dominating, more aggressive on and off the ball. The aggression has to do with joining the lines together higher up and making it difficult for opponents to build attacks. We have improved a lot in this aspect. But it also has to do a lot with the quality of the opponents. For example, Lyon made all its attacks from long balls from the back. [Goalkeeper Hugo] Lloris looked directly for the long ball to [Bafétimbi] Gomis or [Jimmy] Briand. And in that situation you don't have to press high up because there is nothing to press. It depends on the style of the opponent. We hope we have the ability to join the block at the back and defend deep or to know when to pressure high."

Mourinho congratulated his players for their first half against Málaga, but ordered them to draw back in the second. The tactic was repeated against Villarreal in the Bernabéu barely three days later. Sure of having a more important role than last season, the Spanish players reached an agreement that instead of stepping back when their opponent was on the ball, they step forward. At half time, Mourinho again asked them to wait in their own half. According to those present, he argued they needed to conserve their strength. But in the squad there is no small number of players who understand that hanging back allows the usual stars, such Cristiano Ronaldo, to shine more.

This new Madrid that doesn't revolve around one person is a consequence of the tension between Mourinho's position and that of his players. The coach permits and the team grows. Best press on.